vigorous, low maintenance perennials that spread

Karly,

Your sweet woodruff is stunning. Do you know which cultivar it is? Looks like a winner for a shade bed of mine.

Thanks.

Donna

Hi, Margaret.
I also love the Solomon Seals (polygonatum) and related disporums.
There are a lot of interesting varieties, taller, short, variegated, red or yellow or white flowers, etc.
Just yesterday, I planted a grouping of yellow-variegated disporums called 'Cricket' which I have great hopes for.
I had planted a lone specimen a couple years ago which has done well.
Now I want a thicket!
I'm a little nervous, as it's a little late in our planting season. We'll see.
I'm so jealous that you're just starting up the season, while we're heading into the dreariness...
Enjoy!

Hi All,

This has become my favorite forum. I am a newbie with what seems like endless amounts of shade to plant. I wonder if anyone knows whether Lamium, Obedient Plant or Thalictrum can be grown from seed. Almost everything I planted in my shade garden last fall has been eaten by deer, so I'm starting from scratch. Thanks.

Hi J,
I grow two kinds of thalictrum - rochbrunianum 'Lavender Mist' (which seeds nicely) and Thalictrum aquilegifolium, in white. I purchased plants because there is seed but it may be a bit challenging. One of the reasons I buy my seed from J.L. Hudson, is that he is frank about the amount of effort it takes. Please scroll down the page of the following attachment:

http://www.jlhudsonseeds.net/SeedlistTA-TO.htm

On the other hand, I grew Heuchera Sanguinea Firefly last year, it overwintered nicely. All six plants made it through. I am starting more plants. and they germinated on the surface of peat pots in a couple of weeks. So they're easy. Scroll down this page for Firefly.

Doing the same with Bergenia Winterglow. It's like the heuchera - easy to germinate. Deer don't like it. Tough as nails.

http://www.jlhudsonseeds.net/SeedlistH.htm

It's great, because you can make a judgment call about how much work you are willing to do.

Hope this helps.

Donna

Thanks for the tips. I'll take a look.

Janine

Does anyone know if thalictrum will do well in Georgia? I think I heard somewhere that it doesn't like heat and humidity, but I love the way it looks in photos. I guess my answer is probably that I don't see it around here, and the garden centers don't sell it!

I just pulled out my volume of Allan Armitage's book on annuals (Armitage's Garden Annuals). He is located in and grows in Georgia. He talks a bit aabout whole group of thalictrums, and says that the low growers, although zone 4-7, do not do well in heat and humidity. He then goes on to says that some of the tall growers - thalictrum flavum, lucidum and rochebrunianum (Lavender Mist) look better in the north than the south but "look terrific everywhere". And rochebrunianum (Lavender Mist) is his favorite. Mine too. I also grow aquilegiifolium (what a mouthful!) in white but I have to pamper it. Lavender Mist is a rock - I've had it for perhaps 8 years - and it mildly self seeds.

Hope this is useful.

Donna

I grow 3 of the low-growing thalictrums (kiusianum, omiense, ichangense).
They seem to tolerate our heat / humidity fine.
My plants are just a few years old, so I can't say I have extensive experience with them.

I have been considering creeping wintergreen (gaultheria procumbens) for a border on the west side of my house which is further shaded by a red maple in the yard. I didn't notice anyone writing kind words about wintergreen. Is it reliable? Does it spread? Thank you.

I failed miserably w/ gaultheria procumbens in my St Louis yard.
Repeatedly.
I blamed it on our heat / humidity.
I figured it couldn't possibly be due to my horticultural deficiencies...
(I'm praying no one chimes in with how easy it is in my climate.)

Ify, it's not quite as hot here as Athens, but most of the Thalictrums perform well for us. Thalictrum kiusianum is probably my most favorite, a dwarf form that spreads fairly quickly (photo). Another one that does well in the gardens (unfortunately I don't have a photo) is Thalictrum lucidum http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53302 with unique foliage and pale yellow flowers. This one is vigorous and at 5' tall is excellent at the back of a border!

LOL Weerobin, it is NOT easy in "our" climate :) Sooo frustrating for me because I love Gaultheria and it was almost considered a weed in my Maine landscape :( I had a field where it grew naturally under the shade of Oak trees and every time I mowed the field I was treated with the sweet smell of Wintergreen! I'm trying to get it established here in the gardens and one of the 'tricks' I'm trying is to place rocks around the plants. The rocks keep the shallow roots cool and hopefully will trick the plant into thinking it's growing in a much cooler zone - wish me luck!

Ren,

I really like the thalictrum lucidum. It's a delicate yellow. I think it will have much thr effect of my white thalictrum aquilegifolium, but it will be taller, which I would like. Thank you!

Donna

You're welcome :) You'll like the foliage, it's totally different from what you'd expect for a Thalictrum!

Rcn, let us know how the gaultheria experiment turns out.
I planted a thalictrum lucidum last year, but it looked pretty pitiful.
I'm interested to see if it comes back this year.

I'll post a progress note later this spring. This is the area where it's planted, you can barely see the red berries at the top left of the photo but it gives you an idea of the area and the rocks :)

Rochbrunianum is the one I'm interested in. I'll look for "Lavender Mist." The big snow storm here this week has set me back a bit, though. We got 6-8 inches (unheard of here for many years now). Two giant pines fell almost on the house, but mostly across part of my garden! Some old stone walls and my favorite bulb areas have been crushed. They just missed my Edgeworthia, but that would probably come back easily anyway.

There are not any shade plants up around here yet. Still just leaves on top of everything! So stop showing off!!! LOL. I like looking at the lucky people who have plants up and actually blossoming. Lucky dogs. Ronna

Ronna, not to worry, not many shade plants poking up yet either! LOL We're just starting to see a few of the spring bulbs - those pictures are from last year :)

Ify, sorry to hear about the damage from the pines :( We only received 3-4" of snow here - unbelievable, snow on Monday, 78 degrees by Saturday!

Also have long-lived Thalictrum: Thalictrum aquilegifolium, several plants in the same spots: never had to divide them, for about ten years. T. rochebrunianum and T. flavum subsp. glaucum been in for about five years: same. All very well behaved plants. Used T. delavayi even more recently and it also seems quite happy.
Given up on Trycertis (toad lily) because of the lily beetles. Luckily have been able to keep lily beetles off my Polygonatum multiflorum (Eurasian Solomon's seal). Have had to dig up, divide and replant (some of) the Polygonatum, growing in several blocks, about every five years.
Various Tiarella also very easy to maintain here. Love Pulmonaria (lungbane), one of first perennials to bloom. Am particularly pleased with Pulmonaria longifolia subsp. cevennensis, which I got three years ago: leaves attractively marked and any evidence of mildew problems on it, hasn't registered with me yet.
One plant have not noticed above, is Epimedium (barrenwort). Had Epimedium x rubrum growing and slowly spreading in one semi-shaded spot for two years. So impressed, planted more of the same Epimedium last year in other similar locations.
Am also a huge lover of Monkshood: favorites Aconitum henryii 'Spark's Variety' for summer and A. carmichaelii 'Arendsii' for fall. Blue, blue, blue
(particularly 'Arendsii'). Well worth the staking. Do wonderfully at the back of a perennial bed in semishade. Sure many know, but never plant monkshood near a kitchen garden. The back of a bed away from children and pets is also a good location, since the plant is so poisonous.
A northern gardener,
Sunny

My pulmonaria has always been really tiny and puny, but in the NC mountains I saw some in a garden that was about 18in. high and really thick. It looked like a hosta, it was so vigorous. Do they all look like that, or is mine just pitiful? It is in the shade, but it is so dry here for the last few years.

Ify, it's probably the heat as well as the drought. Ours look fantastic in the spring but once the heat really kicks in, they suffer and look pretty pathetic by the middle of summer :(

SunnyBorders, funny you should mention Aconitum - I've always had the blues, bicolors, etc. but this morning I was looking at Yellow Wolfsbane (Aconitum lamarckii) and thinking about ordering it - have you ever grown this one?

rcn48
Re pulmonaria: pulmonaria are quite affected by powdery mildew. Could this be a factor? Just noted a recent study shows Pulmonaria longifolia subsp. cevennensis has a high level of resistance to this disease (as does P. rubra 'Redstart' - which I've read may just be P. rubra). My experience with both of these cultivars tends to confirm the results I mention.
Re Aconitum lamarckii (apparently now a subspecies of A. lycoctonum):
Used this twice in two pretty well watered sunny locations in a mixed perennial bed. It did very well, but was very tall and straggly. It needed too much staking. The individual flowers were also small compared to say 'Arendsii'. I like different yellows, but also felt the color was a bit anemic. Removed and don't use it any more. Obviously some of this is just personal taste!
Perhaps the Plantfiles warnings about Aconitum (monkshood) should be extended in light of how poisonous Aconitum is.

This message was edited Mar 13, 2009 7:23 PM

Wintergreen (gaultheria) does quite well for me in shade. It's a tough plant, seems to be drought-resistant, but spreads slowly. I also have several varieties of toad lilies; epimediums; hostas; ferns; orchid iris; crested iris; virginia bluebells; lily of the valley; hellebores; and species violets, all of which spread happily and survive our hot, humid weather.

Help! Need ideas for a perennial climbing vine to put in a shady garden.
Will hopefull cover a retaining wall. I'll probably put up a trellis to help it!
It will only get about 3 hrs. sun a day. Up here in MA sometimes we are lucky to get 3 hrs. of sun!! Cloudy today and cold!! Would a climbing hydrangea work?

I need a climbing vine for the shade, too.

Sweet autumn clematis is a nice vine for shade.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/683/

Clematis 'Rooguchi' is supposed to take a pretty good amount of shade and bloom over a long period. I like the bell-shaped flowers, too. This one is on my personal want list. ;)

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/77519/

I've heard that the climbing hydrangea is a pretty shade vine, but that it's a slow grower. I hear people complain that they've had it for several years and it's yet to really take off or bloom. But if you're patient, I've also heard it can be very rewarding.

I think it really depends on how much shade you have. If you have several hours of sun, that opens you up to a lot more options. Lonicera (honeysuckle) is another one to push for shade tolerance.

Sweet autumn clematis is pretty invasive in our area.
I love hydrangea petiolaris, but as you mentioned, I haven't had much in the way of blooms yet.
Foliage looks healthy, so hope springs eternal.
There's a small leaf variety called h. anomala petiolaris Brookside Littleleaf, which has more petite foliage.
It grows nicely in my yard, but, alas, no blooms yet....
I like it anyway, even without blooms.
I just bought a roguchi clematis to see if it flowers in my woodland garden.
I haven't even put it in the ground yet, so too soon to know.

Oh yes to go along with what KaylyRed had said about the clematis Rooguchi I love them I planted three of them two years ago. I had to keep them in a pot for the first summer then into the ground. Last year they blossomed literally all summer. Beautifully. They have tripeled over the winter! I had to move one of them they are going to be to big for my little trellis! Am really looking forward to the blossoms again this summer. They really love the shade you do have to tie them as they climb cause they do not have the "clingy" arms. Ronna

Ronna, a few questions about your Roguchi experience...
Does your Roguchi get any direct sun at all?
And can it sprawl, or does it have to be supported?
Does it die back to the ground each year, or is there a woody stem like other clematis?
Do you have to fertilize?
And, where's the picture???

This message was edited Apr 30, 2009 6:32 AM

Mine gets a small amount of sun in the late afternoon, but it likes the shade. My tag said part to full shade when I recieved the plants. Yes it can crawl as a ground cover or can be supported. It does die back to the ground so it blossoms on new wood. No not really a woody stem its more like a vine soft stem. I really do not fertilize. I looked for a photo must've deleted the pictures I had:( So sorry. But here is a photo of it now. Luckily I got this one my battery is getting to low to take a picture. Will post more when they open and get taller. Ronna

Ronna, I just planted a roguchi a couple weeks ago. Looks like a runt compared with yours.
But sounds like yours grew pretty fast, so I'll be patient.
I'd love to see pix whenever they flower, of course!

Oh yes mine started growing just last week ans they already are three feet tall! They will probably blossom really soon. I think I seen some buds already. So where is your located? Sun shade, or part? Do you fertilize? Sound a little familiar? LOL. Just was wondering. Enjoy your clematis! Ronna

Mine is in high shade w/ some filtered sun. I don't usually fertilize.
I'm eager to see how it does.

msmouser My heuchera don’t seem to do well in the shady area either. Maybe they’re breeding them for more sun.
jdalfred, I like the lamium too. It’s easy to rip out if it gets out of hand.

Oh I am sure the clematis will do great! You will like it a whole lot.